25 Random Things About Me

I was tagged on Facebook by my seven friends Christa, Susan, aka Mrs. Carlson, aka Susan “Whimsy” Carlson, Valerie-the-Wannabe-Pyro, Rebekah, Laura, Robyn “Pigeon” Vannoy, and Amy for “25 Random Things”. I was already tagged for the “16 Things” meme and there is no way I’m writing 25 additional things, so I’m only writing nine more! If you really want to read the other 16, click here.

17. This August, Tom and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We were married in the Chapel of Atonement at the Church Farm School, a boarding school for boys, in Exton, PA. There was an extreme downpour between the wedding and the reception – which was at the Catranis’ house. I wouldn’t change a single thing about my wedding. It was the most relaxed, fun wedding I’ve ever attended to date. Potluck wedding receptions are the way to go! Secretly, I wish more people would get rid of the formality and stuffiness of their wedding.

18. My shoe size is 7.5 US. While I have rather small feet at home, in Japan, 24.5 cm is an L or LL size! It took me a while to find the only L size pair of house slippers in the grocery store bin. They are red felt printed with a calico-pink flower pattern. If you saw my slippers (see them while you can, because they are rapidly falling apart!) by themselves and tried to guess whose shoes they were (wouldn’t that be a fun bridal shower game?) you’d bet they belonged to the cute white-haired lady in the kitchen ;)

(Speaking of shoes, my favorites are my brown Nike cross trainers (shh! Sometimes I wear them in the house if the floor is particularly sticky!), my black ankle-high high-heeled zip boots, my vintage leather, 16 eyelet black Dr. Martens, my black satin pumps, and my strappy brown chunk-heels. My next shoe purchase will likely rain boots. Maybe a pair of Chooka Koi Tattoo Boots or perhaps these Autumn Rose Wellingtons from Victorian Trading Company?)

19. If I were to order a drink in a bar, it would likely be either Guinness,, Makers Mark Bourbon (on the rocks) or a Sapphire Gin and Tonic.

20. I am attempting to learn Japanese out of necessity. The best Japanese lesson series I have found is at JapanesePod101. I have Rosetta Stone and did learn some Japanese from it, yet I enjoy JPod101 so much more. If you are serious about learning Japanese, it’s worth it to upgrade to the full version which includes quizzes, online flashcards and multimedia to enhance your lessons.

21. Curry is one of my favorite foods to eat and to make. I love how curry is a mainstay dish all around the world, each location with it’s own unique flavor combination. The story of how curry was introduced to Japan is quite interesting. Incidentally, A Taste of India in Exton, Pennsylvania,is my favorite place back home for Indian cuisine. Their curry is lick-the-plate delicious.

22. I have never gone on vacation. Ever.

23. Complaining is one of my pet-peeves. The only exception is if something is genuinely wrong, and the goal is to find a solution or because the situation is bad enough that beer and hugs are required. FWIW, I also loathe nagging.

24. One of my goals in life is to build my own house. After living in Japan, the house would have to include some tatami rooms, hot-water-on-demand, a tub that overflows onto the floor, and a loooong kitchen sink suitable for gutting a small shark if necessary. Unlike my present house in Japan, it would have heat :) The kitchen would open up into the great room so that I would never be separated from guests because I had to check to see if the food was ready.

Tom has talked about having perimeter floors in our dream house that make the sound of birds softly singing when walked upon. Such floors are called uguisubari, aka Nightingale floors, and they were designed as an ancient security alarm to alert homeowners when ninjas are prowling about. Apparently, he walked on uguisubari while touring the Nijo Castle in Kyoto.

The house would also have to come with both flower and food gardens, as well as an orchard. It would need enough pasture for a dairy cow so we’d have fresh milk and I can make my own cheese, as well as and a creek for fishing.

The list goes on. I admit – I keep a scrapbook full of house ideas, complete with paint swatches, just in case this dream ever comes true.

25. Cleaning secret : I use a plastic garden rake to gather up all of the toys on the floor to aid with the cleaning process. This idea originated from my mother-in-law, who raised seven children and welcomed the neighborhood to play :) I find that (quickly!) gathering all of the playthings lessens the cleaning anxiety by creating a place to walk without having to step on little Legos, for example. It makes the mess seem less.

Tom… I ‘m tagging you. I have no expectations, but, I admit, I am kinda hoping you’ll play along and write up a list of your own.